Owner`s manual

Front Panel Wiring Identification
ITC-Series
Inverter Page 15 Owner’s Manual 8/07/03
levels, which improves battery performance and extends battery life. Consult the battery manufacturer for their
recommendation regarding how often the Equalize Cycle should be performed.
CAUTION
Do not equalize sealed (valve regulated lead acid, AGM or gel) batteries!
Consult battery manufacturer for
equalizing guidelines. Do not equalize more often than approximately once a month. Check battery fluids after
equalizing is complete, as gassing will occur. Use Equalize Mode only if batteries are in a well ventilated area!
Stage 3:
Float Charge Stage - Maintenance Mode
In the Float Stage the charging voltage is reduced to the ‘Float Charge Voltage’ setpoint and charging current is
limited to the ‘Absorption Charge Amps’ setpoint. The charger will remain in the Float Stage until shore power is
reapplied, or until the charger or system is turned OFF and then ON again.
Charging Setpoints
The ITC’s battery charger factory setpoints are for wet batteries. Do not use GEL type batteries without changing
the factory setpoints via the configuration switches.
CAUTION
Do not operate DC loads, such as DC lights, pumps, etc., during battery charging.
The loads may cause
overcharging by preventing the charging stages from reaching their ‘trigger points’ or may cause the battery to
run down even though the charger is ON.
T 1 Figure 2.2-2 Battery Charger Factory Setpoints
Guideline Factory Setpoint
(for Wet Battery)
Factory setpoint for
Gel/AGM Battery
Bulk Charge Volts 14.2 VDC 14.1 VDC
Bulk Charge Current 20% C Rate 80 Amps 80 Amps
Absorption Charge Volts 14.5 VDC 14.2 VDC
Absorption Charge Current 40 Amps 40 Amps
Absorption Maximum Time 10 Minutes 10 minutes
Float Charge Volts 13.2 VDC 13.7 VDC
Equalize Volts Wet only 15.5 VDC Not used
Equalize Maximum Time Wet only 15 Minutes Not used
Battery ‘C Rate’ is equal to battery Amp Hour capacity.
Automatic Power Management (APM)
A key feature of the battery charger operation is Automatic Power Management (APM). This feature monitors the
AC input current and will reduce the battery charger output as necessary to keep the AC input current under the
APM setpoint. The APM circuit will not limit power to the passthrough AC loads. If the passthrough AC loads
exceed 30 Amp, the battery charger output will be reduced to zero and the breaker may trip.
2.3 Gen Start/Auto-throttle
It should be noted that the Generator Start Operation is designed to minimize the generator run time, so at the
present set points there is no Absorption stage per se. Therefore, the batteries must be periodically conditioned
by leaving the generator on, or charging them with another system.
The Gen Start/Auto-throttle feature is designed for use in installations where a generator is used to provide AC
input power for battery charging. Alternately, these contacts are used to enable an Auto-throttle when the battery
voltage drops below the 11.0 VDC setpoint. The Gen Start/Auto-throttle feature provides a contact closure to
signal the generator to start when battery voltage falls below the ‘Gen Start Volts’ 11.0 VDC setpoint. The Gen
Start/Auto-throttle contacts open when bulk charging current fall below the ‘Gen Stop Amps’ 10 Amp DC
setpoint. The Bulk charging current is checked every 4 minutes, therefore the minimum generator ON time is 4
minutes. The contacts are NEC Class 2, rated 2 amps at 12 VDC.
It should be noted that the Gen Start/Auto-throttle contacts are shown in Figure 1.4-4 Customer Terminations,